Counting device

ABSTRACT

Device ( 12 ) for counting shots fired by an automatic firearm ( 11 ), comprising a cartridge chamber containing a cartridge that can be expelled through an expulsion window, comprising a first emission means that emits a continuous electromagnetic signal in such a manner that it is interrupted by a casing expelled from the cartridge chamber and corresponding to the used cartridge. The shot-counting device ( 12 ) of the invention is capable of monitoring the number of casings expelled from a cartridge chamber of the firearm ( 11 ) via an expulsion window and showing, on a display screen, the corresponding number of shots left available in a magazine ( 13 ) fitted to the firearm ( 11 ).

SUBJECT OF THE INVENTION

In general terms, the present invention relates to a device for countingshots fired by a firearm. More specifically, the present inventionrelates to a shot counter that counts the shots fired by an automaticand/or semi-automatic firearm.

PRIOR ART

The development of firearms, such as small arms or pistols, has to dateled to a pistol magazine having the capacity to be able to house morethan one dozen cartridges, for example 18. Specifically, a cartridgecomprises a casing, projectile or bullet.

However, in a firearm of the revolver type, i.e. a firearm having acylinder normally capable of housing 6 cartridges, it is relatively easymentally to monitor the number of cartridges fired or used. In the caseof a pistol fitted with a magazine capable of storing 18 cartridges,plus one in the pistol's cartridge chamber, it can become arduous andcomplicated mentally to monitor the shots fired and the number ofcartridges available in the firearm's magazine, with the result that thepistol user may be surprised by the last shot without prior warning, thepistol's slide being locked.

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a device capable of counting thenumber of shots fired and thus the number of unused cartridges remainingin the magazine that, at a given moment, is fitted to a small arm suchas a pistol. The shot-counting device is also capable of showing thenumber of cartridges available in the magazine.

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE INVENTION

Device for counting shots fired by a firearm, comprising a cartridgechamber containing a cartridge that can be expelled through an expulsionwindow, comprising a first emission means that emits a continuouselectromagnetic signal in such a manner that it is interrupted by acasing expelled from the cartridge chamber and corresponding to the usedcartridge.

The shot-counting device of the invention is capable of monitoring thenumber of casings expelled from a cartridge chamber of the firearm viaan expulsion window and showing, on a display screen, the correspondingnumber of shots left available in a magazine fitted to the firearm.

The counter also keeps an accumulative score of the total number ofcasings expelled from the cartridge chamber and is thus capable ofshowing the total number of shots fired with the firearm so that it ispossible to determine the service life of the firearm or of one or moreparts of it.

A further object of the invention is to guarantee that the informationdata shown on a screen viewed by a user of the firearm using same can beseen.

A further object of the counter of the invention is to keep a partialscore of the shots fired with a specific magazine. The partial magazinecounter can therefore be set to zero by actuating a data input means.

A further object of the invention is to produce a lightweight counter ofsmall size and low cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

A more detailed explanation of the invention is given in the followingdescription based on the attached figures, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a view in elevation of a counting device according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a profile view of the counting device according to theinvention; and

Figure e shows a block diagram of the counting device according to theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device 12 for counting shots fired by an automatic and/orsemi-automatic firearm is shown in FIG. 1. In describing the invention,the automatic and/or semi-automatic firearm example taken will be apistol. Thus, this type of firearm 11 has a cartridge chamber located atthe opposite end from the muzzle of the bore of the barrel, in which thecartridge is placed or housed.

On one side of the cartridge chamber there is an expulsion window (notshown) from which the casing corresponding to the cartridge struck bythe firing pin of the pistol 11 is expelled. That is to say, when a shotis fired with the firearm 11, the cartridge casing is expelled, at acertain speed, from the cartridge chamber via the expulsion window.Likewise, a cartridge that is in the cartridge chamber and that has notbeen struck may be removed from the cartridge chamber via the expulsionwindow.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the counting device 12 comprising afirst means 31 for emitting electromagnetic signals such as infraredrays, which are received in a first receiving means 32 designed todetect possible variations or interruptions in the infrared signalreceived. The first receiver 32 is connected to a programmable logiccontrol means 33 that in turn is connected to a display screen 21designed visually to show information data associated with the number ofshots fired by the firearm 11.

In a similar way, the programmable logic control means 33 based on aprogramming means such as a microprocessor is connected to a data inputmeans 34 comprising an alphanumeric and function keyboard as verticalupward and downward movement, whereby data may be input. Furthermore, anumber of keys may be associated with various characters and/orfunctions.

The keyboard 34 makes it possible, manually, to change informationdisplayed on the screen 21 to other information in an easy and rapidmanner, i.e. if the initial selection was to display the number of shotscorresponding to the magazine 13 fitted to the firearm 11, by actuatingthe corresponding key 34 the total number of shots fired by the firearm11 may be displayed.

When a shot is fired, the corresponding casing is expelled via theexpulsion window such that the casing interrupts the continuous infraredsignal emitted from the first emitter 31. Once the first receiver 32detects the momentary absence of infrared signal, it generates anelectrical control signal corresponding to the interruption of theinfrared signal received, and this is supplied to the microprocessor 33that increments, by one unit, not only the score of the number of shotsfired by the firearm 11 but also the score of the number of shots firedusing the magazine 13 fitted to said weapon.

Consequently, the screen 21 of the counter may show, visually,information selected by the user of the firearm 11 from the variousinformation items that the screen 21 of the counter is able to show,such as total number of shots fired, number of shots remaining in thecurrent magazine 13, number of shots fired using the current magazine13, and the like. To this end, the user of the weapon merely has toselect, by means of the keyboard 34, the type of information he wishesto see on the screen 21.

The counter 12 is located on the upper part of the barrel of the firearm11, over the expulsion window and such that the display screen 21 can beseen by the user of the firearm 11 when he is about to fire a shot, i.e.the screen 21 faces the user (cf. FIG. 2). Also, the first emitter 31and the first receiver 32 have to be located such that it is guaranteedthat the casing, when expelled from the cartridge chamber, willinterrupt the infrared signal.

In addition, the screen 21 may be offset from the axis of the bore ofthe barrel of the firearm 11, i.e. it is not on the vertical of thebarrel, such that in this position the firearm 11 can be fitted with atelescopic sight, for example. Similarly, the counter 12 has to beremoved from the barrel so that the user of the firearm 11 can use thesight point of the weapon 11 when firing a shot.

The counter 12 comprises a battery 35 that supplies electrical energy toall the circuits of the counter 12. The battery 35 is small in size andis a long-life type, such as a lithium battery that provides astand-alone capacity of over 10,000 operating hours.

To extend the life of the battery 35 as far as possible, the counter 12has a switching means (not shown), which switches the counter 12 on andoff such that when the firearm 11 is to be used the switch is set to theon position and when use of the weapon 11 has finished the switch is setto the off position. In this condition, the microprocessor 33 continuesto receive an electrical energy supply with the end of keeping certaininformation stored, such as the total number of shots fired with thefirearm 11. The counter 12 therefore includes circuitry associated withthe microprocessor 33 and the battery 35, which fulfils the task ofmaintaining the electrical energy supply to the microprocessor 33 duringthe time for which the counter 12 is in the off state.

The display screen 21 may be of the liquid crystal LCD,electroluminescent, plasma or similar type, as such technologies involvea lower electrical energy consumption. Also, the screen 21 may be atouch-sensitive screen, and in such a case certain functions of the datainput means 34 can be implemented from said screen 12.

Furthermore, the counter 12 may allow remote control of the consumptionof ammunition by the firearm 11, as the counter may be divided into twoparts such that one of them is located on the weapon 11 and the othermay be separate from the firearm 11.

The counter 12 may also include a laser aiming device for aiming thefirearm 11 at an objective such that the laser aiming device is locatedbehind the display screen 21.

The part of the counter 12 located on the weapon 11 includes a secondmeans for emitting electromagnetic signals, such as radio signals. Thesecond emitter is connected to the first receiver 32 such that theinterruption of the infrared signal is converted into a radio signaltransmitted to the separate part of the counter 12, which includes asecond reception means that receives the signal transmitted via radioand converts it into an electrical signal that is supplied to themicrocomputer 33.

Obviously, other components may be separate from the counter 12, forexample the screen 21 is separate from the counter 12. In such a case,the second emitter receives an electrical signal from the microcomputer33 and this is converted into a radio signal that is emitted to thesecond receiver that transforms it into a signal supplied to the screenso that the desired information may be viewed.

As a result, on the basis of the separation type achieved for thecounter 12, a predetermined number of components of the counter 11 willbe fitted to the firearm 11. Obviously, each part of the counter 12includes a battery that supplies the electrical energy to enable the twoparts of the counter 12 to operate.

1. A device for counting shots fired by a firearm (11), comprising acartridge chamber containing a cartridge that can be expelled through anexpulsion window, characterized in that the counting device (12)comprises a first emission means (31) designed to emit a continuouselectromagnetic signal in such a manner that it is interrupted by acasing expelled from the cartridge chamber and corresponding to thefired cartridge.
 2. The counting device as claimed in claim 1, in whichthe electromagnetic signal emitted is received in a first receivingmeans (32) connected to a programmable logic control means (33) that inturn is connected to a display screen (21).
 3. The counting device asclaimed in claim 2; when the electromagnetic signal emitted isinterrupted by an expelled casing, the programmable logic means (33)increments and/or decrements, by at least one unit, a score stored inthe programmable logic means (33) such that the new score value can beshown on the display screen (21).
 4. The counting device as claimed inclaim 3; the stored score corresponds to the total number of shots firedby the firearm (11).
 5. The counting device as claimed in claim 3; thescore stored corresponds to the partial number of a total of shots firedand/or available in a magazine (13) fitted to the firearm (11).
 6. Thecounting device as claimed in claim 2; which includes a data input means(34) designed to select at least one information item stored in theprogrammable logic means (33) such that the type of information selectedis shown visually on the display screen (21).
 7. The counting device asclaimed in claim 6; the data input means (34) includes a set ofalphanumeric keys.
 8. The counting device as claimed in claim 7; thedata input means (34) also includes a set of function an/or informationselection keys.
 9. The counting device as claimed in claim 1 wherein theelectromagnetic signal is an infrared-ray signal.
 10. The countingdevice as claimed in claim 2; the display screen (21) is aliquid-crystal, electroluminescent, plasma or similar screen.
 11. Thecounting device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the counting device (12)is located on the barrel of the firearm (11) such that the displayscreen (21) is facing the user using the firearm (11).
 12. The countingdevice as claimed in claim 11; the counting device (12) includes a laseraiming device for aiming that is located behind the display screen 21.13. The counting device as claimed in claim 11; there is a predeterminedspace between the barrel and the counting device (12) such that it ispossible to see a sight point located on the muzzle of the barrel. 14.The counting device as claimed in claim 1, in which the counting device(12) is divided into at least two parts connected via electromagneticsignals such that remote control of the consumption of ammunition by thefirearm (1!) is possible.
 15. The counting device as claimed in claim14; the electromagnetic signal is a radio signal.